Archives

26/01/2018

During the middle of the nineteenth century, the Japanese began to move away from their traditional clothing, to adopt the western style of dressing. Two centuries later this trend came to be termed as Street Fashion. Basically this term implies the customization of outfits by adopting a blend of current and traditional trends. Such clothes are usually tailored at home.

Basically, the street fashion is considered to be rather trendy amongst fashion gurus of the world. This is because it is an individualistic genre of dressing. And interestingly, across Japan, various dressing sub-cultures have mushroomed with their own unique way of dressing. Some rather simple and young, typically teenage in its way; while there are the outrageous styles that seem to emulate the punk trends of the eighties.

Whether tourists do shop for the street fashion clothing or not, visiting these shopping destinations are of interest. While almost every country has its own unique style of dressing, in Japan one would find a totally different street trend prevalent in various areas. There is uniqueness and innovation at almost every nook and corner, especially amongst the youngsters.

Tokyo is one of the prime fashion destinations of Japan. Her is a list of some places where one could shop for Japanese street clothing:

Harajuku: This has come to be regarded as the latest fashion center of Tokyo.

Ginza: This fashion area is dotted with a number of clothing shops as well as restaurants, for shoppers to refresh themselves when in the middle of a shopping spree.

Odaiba: This is considered as a tourist hotspot for street fashion shopping, as well as sightseeing.

Shinjuku: A fashion destination, with a brightly lit up nightlife.

Roppongi: This is an ideal shopping hotspot for English speaking tourists, with an entertaining after-shopping-hours life.

25/01/2018

People have many stereotypes. Especially towards the other nations. Some of them are not merely stereotypes but the very truth, while the other are a complete falsehood.

Before going to Paris and meeting the Parisians I used to think the capital citizens are all dressed-up, as if they have just went down the catwalk. And I was surprised when I saw the Parisians with my own eyes. They turned out to be dressed like millions of Europeans - each in his or her way. I mean there are people who keep up with the latest fashion trends and wear only Gucci or Prada. But there are many of them who wear inexpensive brands and don't care about the caprices of vogue.

So I got interested in the subject. I decided to ask people in the Paris streets what they are in and why.

The first mademoiselle I stopped was Linda. She is a designer and names Pierre Cardin her favourite fashion designer. She answered positively when I asked her if she wore her own clothes. She also buys them in different shops. For instance she likes Morgan and drops in at H&M. She said she doesn't keep up with the latest trends and creates her own style. Antuan was my next interviewer. He is an extremely interesting personality I should say. Very elegant and stylish in spite of his age (he's about 70). He said he is cut out to be a man of fashion. He buys clothes in luxurious designer boutiques but doesn't follow the fashion laws. He said he would never put on a thing at the season he bought it. No sooner than in a couple of years, he added.

A young couple I talked to turned out to be Scandinavians. They stand out against the background of the other people by an impressive appearance: the girl wears leggings and a shirt with a belt over it. The guys buy clothes at second-hand shops and never read fashion magazines.

Fabrice was the next. He is an expatriate Brazilian. The young man is a dancer and works for Jeune Ballet de Paris. He complained that it's difficult to live in Paris if you wear clothes that are bright and out of style. But he got used to eccentric items and doesn't care about the opinion of the society. He prefers to buy clothes at open-air bazaars choosing things he likes. He said he doesn't keep to any style because he's an actor and he is fond of transformations.

24/01/2018

Street fashion is fashion that you see on the street. Simple enough right? It is very different from what you might find on fashion magazines and talk shows. It is not about the most expensive line of jewelry or the most outrageous costumes. It is not what you are supposed to wear on the red carpet. Street fashion is about real people in the real world who do things they like. Is it not what fashion should be all about in the first place? Where, along the way, did we lose a sense of what people want and feel in studying fashion?

You can know a lot about a culture and its people by looking at the street fashion of the city. This type of fashion is influenced by a number of factors. Even within a culture, there are many sub-cultures. For example, in the US, which is a fairly homogeneous culture compared to many other countries, the sense of fashion can be very different from one city to another. A city like New York has its own sense of fashion on the street and is very different from a city like San Diego. Don't be surprised to find that Californians and New Yorkers are not very similar, after all!

Street fashion is also dependent on the weather of the region and a lot of articles never take that into consideration. After all, you are not going to wear a bikini in January in New York but you can get away with a tank-top in Californian winter. Certain accessories, therefore, become distinctive of the region and city.

Street fashion also helps us understand the economy and overall "mood" of the city and its residents. During cheerful times, you will find shorter hemlines and brighter colors. This is not speculation but has a basis in research that has spawned various recessions in the past. It is not hard to imagine that since this is about real people and their real lives, it reflects their life very well. This is contrary to popular fashion which is influenced by a lot of other factors.

Understanding and studying street fashion also gives a sense of history and culture of a city. Visitors, for example, can blend in more easily when they understand this aspect of the city and be embraced as one of their own. This of course is a privilege that can be earned only by the worth tourists and visitors.